I 

A 


DISCOURSE 

* 

EMBRACING  A  DESCRIPTION  OP  TIIE 


IMPROVEMENTS,  &C. 


WITH  A  FULL  DESCRIFTrON  OF 


THE  ACCLIMATING  FEVER. 


BY 

ABMISTEAD  MILLER, 

A  CITIZEN  OF  MONROVIA,  LIBERIA. 


PHILADELPHIA  : 

JOSEPH  M.  WILSON, 

NO.  Ill  SOUTH  TENTH  STREET,  BELOW  CHESTNUT  STREET. 


LIBERIA  DESCRIBED. 


A 

DISCOURSE 

EMBRACING  A  DESCRIPTION  OF  THE 


Climate,  Soil  fjrckrtioim,  Animals,  JItissionarjT  Mori, 


IMPROVEMENTS,  &C. 


WITH  A  FULL  DESCRIPTION  OF 


THE  ACCLIMATING  FEVER. 


BY 

ARMISTEAD  MILLER, 

A  CITIZEN  OF  MONROVIA,  LIBERIA. 


PHILADELPHIA : 

JOSEPH  M.  WILSON, 

NO.  Ill  SOUTH  TENTH  STREET,  BELOW  CHESTNUT  STREET. 

1859. 


NOTICE 


The  following  letter  will  explain  the  object  of  this  publica¬ 
tion  : 

Oxford,  Chester  Co.,  Pa.,  Jariy.  3,  1859. 

Dear  Sir  : — The  writer  of  the  following  lecture  is  a  student 
of  the  Ashmun  Institute;  and  having  spent  some  seven  years  in 
Liberia,  he  has  been  frequently  called  upon  by  his  fellow-stu¬ 
dents  and  others,  to  give  his  views  in  reference  to  that  coun¬ 
try,  especially  its  suitableness  as  a  home  for  the  coloured  man. 
He  is  also  a  licentiate  of  the  Presbytery  of  New  Castle,  con¬ 
nected  with  the  Old  School  Presbyterian  Church,  and  is  deemed 
worthy  of  confidence  in  the  statements  he  makes.  The  object 
he  has  in  view  in  publishing  the  lecture,  is  to  give  information 
of  his  adopted  country,  to  which  he  expects  to  return  in  May 
next,  with  two  other  students  of  the  Institute  as  ministers  of 
the  gospel ;  and  also  to  obtain  means  to  assist  his  family,  part 
of  whom  emigrate  with  him.  It  is  hoped  the  production  will 
be  received  with  favour,  and  that  the  cost  of  publishing  may 
be  amply  repaid  in  the  good  accomplished,  and  the  assistance 
bestowed  upon  a  worthy  man,  who  expects  soon  to  be  a  mis¬ 
sionary  in  Africa.  John  M.  Diceh:y. 

(4) 


LIBERIA  DESCRIBED. 


No  doubt,  but  you  have  heard  much  about  Liberia  from  time 
to  time,  as  we  know  that  a  great  deal  has  been  said,  both  pro 
and  con ,  in  respect  to  this  “  New  Republic claiming  a  pretty 
general  knowledge  of  things  as  they  are,  I  feel  no  hesitancy 
in  asserting,  that  some  things  which  you  have  heard  both  for 
and  against  Liberia,  were  true ;  but  that  many  others  were 
either  wholly  untrue,  very  highly  coloured,  or  shamefully  ex¬ 
aggerated. 

The  avowed  enemies  to  Liberia  have  done  no  more,  effectu¬ 
ally,  to  retard  the  progress  of  true  prosperity  in  Liberia,  than 
has  been  done  by  the  over  zealous  for  the  cause,  whenever 
they  could  touch  an  important  string  connected  with  their  ovyn 
interest. 

The  advocates  of  the  one  side,  in  many  instances,  without 
ever  consulting  either  truth  or  policy,  have  said  all  that  entered 
their  brain ;  while  many  of  the  other  side,  determined  not  to 
be  repulsed,  have  fabricated  accounts  of  Liberia,  equally  false, 
ridiculous,  and  absurd. 

It  is  not  at  all  difficult  to  perceive,  that  neither  of  the  above- 
named  parties  are  actuated  by  either  love  or  hatred  for  Liberia, 
or  for  any  one,  or  any  thing  further  than  their  own  purposes 
can  be  served  thereby ;  and  doubtless  it  might  be  set  down  as 
a  general  rule,  that  the  great  mass  of  zealots  on  any  subject, 
who  would  fain  set  the  world  on  fire,  in  order  to  turn  things  in  a 
certain  channel,  by  strict  examination,  might  soon  discover  in 
the  midst  of  all  their  noisy  machinery,  a  main-spring,  very 
nearly  related  to  the  first  law  of  nature. 


(5) 


6 


LIBERIA  DESCRIBED. 


The  foundation,  or  introduction  of  the  present  lecture,  to¬ 
gether  with  the  circumstances  connected  therewith,  would  ap¬ 
pear  necessarily  to  preclude  any  departure  from  the  truth 
whatever  on  my  part. 

In  the  first  place,  I  promise  to  give  you  a  description  of 
things  as  they  are  in  Liberia,  in  contradistinction  to  all  mis¬ 
representations,  whether  pro  or  con. 

We  cannot  disappoint  you  for  want  of  a  personal  knowledge 
of  things,  as  they  exist,  in  Liberia;  for  we  are  from  the  spot; 
we  have  handled,  we  have  tasted,  we  have  seen, — whatever  is 
sweet  to  the  taste,  and  pleasant  to  the  eyes  :  and  it  would  be 
absurd  to  suppose,  that  in  the  midst  of  all  the  sweets,  we  had 
wholly  escaped  the  bitter ;  such  is  not  the  common  course  of 
things  in  this  life. 

It  is  not  at  all  probable  that  I  shall  vilify  my  country,  for 
all  my  interests  are  there.  Liberia  is  my  home — my  only 
home  beneath  the  sun ;  upon  her  shores  1  hope  to  fall  asleep 
in  death ;  beneath  her  soil  I  hope  to  rest  my  bones  till  the 
resurrection;  and  thence  to  rise  with  tens  of  thousands,  who 
“  have  fought  the  good  fight,  have  kept  the  faith,”  and  con¬ 
quered  the  last  enemy. 

Perhaps  you  will  ask, — Why  would  ye  die  in  Africa  ?  and 
why  seek  a  grave  in  that  forgotten  land  ?  0  Africa  !  Truly 

art  thou  despoiled  of  thy  glory  and  thy  beauty ;  nevertheless, 
the  honoured  bones  of  saints  and  sages — yea,  the  mortal  re¬ 
mains  of  kings  and  potentates — do  rest  beneath  thy  sod. 

“  Land  of  the  mighty  dead, 

Where  science  once  displayed, 

And  art  their  charms  : 

Where  awful  Pharaohs  swayed 
Great  nations  who  obeyed ; 

Where  distant  monarchs  laid 
Their  vanquished  arms.” 

Liberia  is  in  Africa,  and  Africa  has  been  abundantly  hon¬ 
oured,  even  by  the  command  of  high  heaven  :  the  chaste  Jo¬ 
seph  lived  in  Africa ; — all  Israel  were  saved  from  starvation 
b}^  going  to  Africa ; — Moses  was  born,  nourished,  and  educated 
in  Africa ; — our  blessed  Saviour  himself  was  sent  to  Africa  by 
the  command  of  God  his  Father ;  and  there  being  sheltered 
from  the  cruel  tyranny  of  Herod,  he  died  not  with  Rachel’s 
children.  But,  notwithstanding  that  we  have'  said  thus  much 


LIBERIA  DESCRIBED. 


7 


concerning  Africa,  still  we  have  no  disposition  whatever  to 
speak  more  highly  of  Liberia  than  she  deserves.  There  can  be 
nothing  gained  by  so  doing.  Liberia  is  becoming  more  and 
more  conspicuous  in  the  family  of  nations,  and  the  time  is  just 
at  hand,  when  any  man  who  would  know  the  truth  or  falsity 
of  what  he  hears,  may  have  an  ocular  demonstration  of  the 
same  for  a  very  small  sum :  so  many  means  are  employed  for 
a  quick  and  pleasant  voyage  to  that  distant  land. 

From  the  foregoing  considerations,  therefore,  you  have  good 
reason  to  believe  that,  in  the  first  place,  we  will  give  you  “  Li¬ 
beria  as  she  is  to  do  which,  we  will  begin  with  the  geo¬ 
graphical  position.  Many,  and  perhaps  most  of  you  have 
studied  geography,  but  I  doubt  whether  you  have  given  much 
study  to  the  map  of  Liberia ;  therefore,  we  shall  feel  no  deli¬ 
cacy  in  giving  you  the  geographical  particulars. 

Liberia  is  on  the  west  coast  of  Africa,  and  lies  between 
the  parallels  3°  and  10°  North  Latitude :  and  between  the 
Meridians  6°  and  13°  West  Longitude  from  Greenwich. 
We  have  about  six  hundred  miles  of  sea-coast,  stretching 
from  North-West  to  South-East.  The  interior  line  is  not  quite 
so  definite,  being  more  distant  from  the  sea-coast  at  some 
points  than  at  others ;  the  most  distant  settlement  from  the 
coast  at  present,  is  not  more  than  fifty  or  sixty  miles  in  a  di¬ 
rect  line  interiorwise  ;  but  the  propriety  of  interior  settlements 
is  becoming  more  and  more  obvious,  and  has  grown  into  a 
topic  of  free  discussion  both  by  the  citizens  of  Liberia,  and  her 
most  interested  friends  abroad.  We  will  not  attempt  at  pre¬ 
sent  to  give  the  extent  of  the  country  in  exact  numbers,  but 
by  a  rough  calculation,  we  will  venture  to  say,  that  the  whole 
extent  is  from  seventy-five,  to  one  hundred  thousand  square 
miles,  more  or  less. 

We  have  many  very  fine  rivers  of  fresh  water;  the  princi¬ 
pal  of  which  are  the  St.  Paul’s,  in  Montserado  county ;  the  St. 
John’s,  in  Grand  Bassa  county;  the  Sinou,  in  Sinou  county; 
the  Cavalla,  in  Cape  Palmas  county ;  and  running  through 
various  portions  of  the  Ilepublic,  are  the  beautiful  rivers  of 
Grand  Cape  Mount,  Junk,  Timbo,  Cesters,  Cape  Palmas,  &c. 
Besides,  creeks,  brooks,  or  rivulets,  are  scattered  here  and 
there  throughout  the  entire  country ;  in  a  word,  Liberia  is  well 
watered.  If  the  adepts  in  geography  should  find  any  want  of 
harmony  between  the  above  account,  and  that  which  has  been 


8 


LIBERIA  DESCRIBED. 


given  by  geographers,  the  difficulty  will  be  removed,  when 
they  remember  that  the  Liberians  are  a  progressive  people,  and 
that  within  the  last  few  years,  the  borders  of  Liberia  have 
been  essentially  enlarged  by  the  annexation  of  new  territory. 

Liberia,  as  her  “  Bill  of  Rights”  declares,  u  is  a  free,  sover¬ 
eign,  and  independent  state she  has  adopted  a  republican 
form  of  government,  which  differs  from  that  of  the  United 
States,  only  in  the  following  particulars  :  Liberia  is  one  state 
divided  into  very  large  counties,  and  the  government  is  cen¬ 
tral  ;  there  is  but  one  Legislature,  composed  of  a  Senate,  and 
House  of  Representatives  :  each  county  is  allowed  two  Sena¬ 
tors,  elected  from  their  own  county,  by  their  own  citizens,  who 
remain  in  office  for  a  term  of  four  years ;  and  each  county  is 
allowed  one  Representative  to  begin  with,  and  one  additional 
for  every  ten  thousand  inhabitants,  but  these  remain  in  office 
for  a  term  of  only  two  years.  The  Senators  and  Representatives 
of  Liberia,  when  “  in  Legislature  assembled,”  correspond  to  the 
Congress  of  the  United  States ;  and  all  laws  and  ordinances  in 
the  whole  Republic,  except  those  of  a  municipal  character,  are 
enacted  by  this  one  Legislature.  Our  President  and  Vice 
President  are  elected  by  a  majority  of  votes,  for  a  term  of  two 
years  at  the  time ;  none  of  cur  judges  are  elected  by  a  popular 
vote,  but  all  the  members  of  ihe  judiciary,  even  down  to  a  jus¬ 
tice  of  the  peace,  are  nominated  by  the  President,  and  elected 
by  the  Senate. 

This  government  is  altogether  in  the  hands  of  our  own  peo¬ 
ple,  and  no  one  else  is  allowed  the  least  participation  therein : 
every  male  citizen  of  twenty-one  years  old  is  allowed  the  right 
to  vote,  provided  he  possesses  real  estate,  and  claims  to  have 
one  drop  of  African  blood  circulating  in  his  veins.  This  is  an 
all-important  qualification ;  for  under  the  present  Constitution, 
no  others  can  be  allowed  the  elective  franchise,  under  any 
possible  circumstances.  Inasmuch  as  I  have  found  no  little 
opposition  to  this  particular  clause  of  the  Constitution  of  Li¬ 
beria,  I  beg  leave  to  make  the  following  explanation :  This 
prohibition  did  not  arise,  and  does  not  continue,  on  account 
of  any  prejudice  of  colour  whatever ;  but  was  considered  by 
the  framers  of  the  Constitution,  and  is  still  considered  by 
Liberian  statesmen,  as  a  matter  of  the  purest  policy,  in  behalf 
of  our  own  people.  Liberia  is  a  new  country,  and  the 


LIBERIA  DESCRIBED. 


0 


pioneers  of  our  people  to  that  country  are  men  of  only  moderate 
circumstances ;  the  truth  is,  none  go  from  this  country  to  that 
with  riches,  and  the  only  men  we  have,  that  may  be  called  rich, 
with  any  degree  of  propriety,  have  gained  their  fortunes  there. 
Now  if  foreign  capitalists  were  encouraged  to  cast  their  lots 
among  us,  it  is  evident  that  they  would  employ  their  capital 
against  ours,  and  the  most  wealthy  of  our  citizens  could  not 
begin  to  cope  with  such  an  unequal  power ;  thus  the  very  first 
and  best  designs  of  the  new  Republic  would  be  thwarted,  and 
Liberia  could  no  longer  be  called  “  the  asylum  for  the  op¬ 
pressed.” 

Since  I  have  been  in  the  United  States,  several  coloured 
gentlemen  have  given  me  their  objections  to  such  a  prohibi¬ 
tion  :  and  if  I  had  answered  them  according  to  my  feelings  at 
the  time,  I  certainly  would  have  advised  them  to  remain  in 
this  country,  if  they  had  not  as  yet  felt  the  inconvenience  of 
an  opposing  power ;  no  man  is  more  likely  to  make  a  good 
citizen  of  Liberia,  than  he  who  is  most  dissatisfied  with  his 
condition  in  the  United  States.  The  time  will  come,  and  is 
fast  approaching,  when  our  doors  will  be  thrown  wide  open, 
so  that  any  man  from  any  country  may  become  a  citizen  fully 
enfranchised ;  but  would  it  not  be  presumption  on  the  part  of 
our  little  Republic,  to  invite  a  power  at  once  from  which  citi¬ 
zens  have  so  lately  made  their  escape  ?  Let  our  people  first  es¬ 
tablish  themselves,  make  themselves  capital  equal  to  that  of 
others,  and  then  may  they  welcome  the  men  of  every  nation 
to  all  the  rights  of  fellow-citizens :  and  not  until  then. 

Having  digressed  thus  far  from  the  point,  for  the  sake  of 
explanation,  we  again  return  to  our  plain  method  of  giving 
things  as  they  are. 

We  have  in  Liberia  a  warm  climate,  purely  tropical,  but  not 
a  hot  climate  as  some  people  suppose  ;  we  would  be  frightened, 
and  astonished  to  see  mercury  as  high  as  I  am  told  it  some¬ 
times  reaches  in  this  country  ;  it  is  seldom  as  low  as  sixty,  and 
I  think  I  never  have  seen  it  as  high  as  ninety-five ;  according 
to  my  very  best  recollection,  it  ranges  for  the  most  part  from 
sixty-six  to  eighty-six,  being  a  variation  of  only  twenty  de¬ 
grees,  and  it  never  varies  more  than  twenty-five  degrees. 
Thus  you  will  observe  the  uniformity  of  our  climate;  and  the 

great  error  of  those,  who  regard  it  as  being  naturally  unhealth}  . 

2 


10 


LIBERIA  DESCRIBED. 


I  am  disposed  to  think  that  the  most  skilful  physicians  would 
decide,  that  such  a  temperature,  with  so  little  variation,  must 
naturally  be  favourable  to  health,  as  a  general  rule.  I  do  not 
think  there  is  a  people  on  the  whole  face  of  the  globe,  who 
are  more  robust  and  healthy,  and  better  developed  physically, 
than  are  the  native  Africans,  despite  all  their  wretched  habits 
of  heathenism,  which  would  appear  altogether  sufficient  to  has¬ 
ten  the  destruction  of  both  soul  and  body,  still  they  enjoy  al¬ 
most  unbroken  health,  and  live  to  an  incredible  age ;  so  much 
so,  that  it  is  said,  hyperbolically ,  that  they  never  die,  except 
they  are  killed.  What  we  have  said  of  native  Africans  however, 
or  all  persons  born  in  that  country,  cannot  be  said  of  those 
who  emigrate  to  Africa  from  other  countries,  whether  European 
or  American  :  very  nearly  every  man,  woman,  or  child,  who 
emigrates  to  Africa  from  the  United  States,  must  pass  through 
a  process  of  acclimation,  commonly  called  the  “  Acclimating 
fever.” 

This  fever  is  more  severe  in  some  cases  than  in  others,  and 
it  is  supposed  that  about  three  per  cent  of  ail  the  emigrants 
from  the  United  States  escape  the  “  Acclimating  fever”  en¬ 
tirely,  and  pass  not  only  the  usual  time  for  acclimating,  but  a 
number  of  years,  without  a  single  day’s  sickness ;  these  are 
considered  peculiar  constitutions,  and  it  is  difficult  to  ascertain 
in  what  this  peculiarity  consists ;  for  there  are  some  things 
very  remarkable  about  the  “  Acclimating  fever,”  many  very 
weak  constitutions  have  been  completely  brought  up,  and 
wonderfully  invigorated,  after  having  passed  through  the  “  Ac¬ 
climating  fever in  many  cases  it  appears  to  have  the  power 
of  refining,  and  often  sets  its  subjects  free  from  all  their  former 
maladies. 

There  is  nothing  frightful  in  the  “  Acclimating  process  as 
%  general  thing,  it  is  the  simplest  form  of  “  Intermittents ;”  and 
with  proper  care,  is  no  more  to  be  dreaded  than  the  measles  : 
indeed,  according  to  my  judgment,  the  measles  is  by  far  the 
more  dangerous  of  the  two  ;  this  may  appear  strange,  but  what 
is  more  strange,  the  measles,  as  a  general  thing,  has  no  admit¬ 
tance  into  our  country  at  all ;  and  not  only  measles  and  the 
like,  but  also  epidemics  of  every  kind,  seem  to  meet  a  resist¬ 
ance  as  soon  as  they  reach  our  shores. 

When  persons  go  from  the  United  States  to  Liberia,  they 


LIBERIA  DESCRIBED. 


11 


usually  take  the  “Acclimating  fever”  within  about  three  or  four 
weeks  after  their  arrival;  there  are  exceptions  however  to 
this  general  rule :  for  we  have  known  persons  to  remain  in  Li¬ 
beria  for  the  space  of  three,  four,  five,  and  even  six  months, 
before  they  have  felt  the  real  effects  of  the  “  Acclimating  fever.” 

The  process  usually  begins  with  a  chill  followed  by  a  fever, 
after  which  the  patient  feels  about  as  well  as  ever  he  did ;  but 
just  about  the  time  he  thinks  he  has  gotten  quite  through  his 
course  of  acclimation,  this  forgotten  friend  calls  to  see  him 
again ;  and  after  his  second  and  third  visit,  the  patient  begins 
to  remember  that  he  is  in  Africa ;  not  less  than  thirty  or  forty 
degrees  to  the  southward  of  his  native  home  ;  under  a  vertical 
sun ;  in  the  midst  of  perpetual  spring ;  surrounded  by  an  un¬ 
broken  succession  of  fruits  and  fragrant  flowers ;  and  therefore 
he  concludes  that  it  is  nothing  more  than  right  that  he  should 
pay  his  footing.  It  is  by  these  repeated  visits  of  the  same  old 
friend,  that  the  patient  is  sometimes  weakened  and  vested, 
and  not  by  the  violence  of  the  attack,  and  when  the  effects  are 
removed  by  the  free  use  of  tonics,  preceded  by  other  neces¬ 
sary  medicines,  the  patient  recovers  with  astonishing  speed. 
It  is  true,  there  are  exceptions  to  this  general  rule ;  as  in  the 
case  of  some  wTho  are  convalescent  for  several  months,  and 
others  who  never  recover. 

We  are  decidedly  of  the  opinion  however,  that  the  death  of 
no  one  can  be  charged  exclusively  to  the  “  Acclimating  fever.” 
In  the  multitudes  of  people  that  are  emigrating  from  this  coun¬ 
try  to  Liberia  every  year,  it  is  nothing  more  than  reasonable 
that  many  should  die ;  where  can  you  find  a  community  in  this 
country  of  five  hundred  or  a  thousand  persons,  that  does  not 
lose  one  or  more  of  them  in  the  course  of  a  year?  We  doubt 
as  to  whether  there  be  any  such  communities  in  the  United 
States.  Surely  then,  it  should  not  be  considered  strange,  if 
out  of  the  constant  flow  of  emigration  from  this  country  to 
Liberia,  some  persons  should  die,  since  even  nature  itself  wrould 
require  it. 

But  there  is  one  other  circumstance,  which  will  account  for 
more  of  the  mortality  during  the  acclimating  process  than  all 
things  else  combined ;  and  it  is  this  :  The  great  mass  of  the 
people  that  emigrate  from  this  country  to  Liberia  now-a-days, 
as  a  general  thing,  are  very  poorly  instructed ;  I  do  not  mean 


12 


LIBERIA  DESCRIBED. 


to  say  that  there  are  no  intelligent,  educated,  and  well-refined 
people  among  the  hundreds  and  thousands  that  are  flowing  into 
the  country,  almost  in  a  continuous  stream,  but  I  do  mean 
to  say  that  they  are  greatly  in  the  minority ;  and  hence,  as 
we  were  about  to  say,  the  great  mass  of  these  emigrants  are 
so  poorly  instructed,  that  they  do  not  know  the  laws  of  their 
own  nature,  much  less  do  they  observe  them,  either  in  sickness 
or  health.  The  wonder  is,  that  such  people  should  ever  pass 
through  the  acclimating  process  without  destroying  their  con¬ 
stitutions  for  life,  and  yet  to  the  utter  astonishment  of  the 
better  informed,  many  of  them  become  the  very  pictures  of 
health ;  such  is  the  nature  of  the  “  Acclimating  fever.” 

Physicians  are  not  altogether  decided  as  to  the  prime  cause 
of  this  fever,  but  it  is  a  very  general  opinion,  and  we  think  a 
pretty  well-established  fact,  that  the  malaria ,  or  miasma,  is  the 
principal  cause  of  this  sickness. 

Just  think  for  a  moment,  of  a  country  covered  with  a  dense 
forest  of  perpetual  green,  and  lying,  for  aught  we  know,  in  this 
undisturbed  condition,  ever  since  the  days  of  Adam,  or  at  least, 
ever  since  the  waters  of  the  flood  were  removed.  I  do  not 
mean  to  say  that  such  is  certainly  the  case,  but  I  am  wholly 
ignorant  of  anything  to  the  contrary,  and  would  be  most  happy 
to  receive  instruction  on  the  subject  from  any  one  who  holds 
himself  prepared  to  settle  the  point.  We  know  that  from  the 
very  cradle,  learning  arose  and  flourished  in  Africa,  and  at  one 
time,  the  most  powerful  nations  on  the  globe  were  in  Africa, 
while  some  of  the  greatest  men  that  ever  lived,  were  of  African 
blood,  and  lived,  laboured,  and  died  in  Africa.  But  we  can 
go  to  the  very  spot  where  these  things  were  displayed,  and 
we  know  that  they  were  not  in  western  Africa ;  the  truth  is, 
we  know  very  little  about  the  past  history  of  that  portion  of 
Africa ;  therefore  we  still  hold,  that  for  centuries  and  tens  of 
centuries,  a  mass  of  decayed  matter  has  been  constantly  accu¬ 
mulating.  It  is  this,  beyond  all  doubt  it  is  this  that  brings 
about  an  intermittent  fever  during  the  acclimating  process  : 
and  I  hold,  that  it  affords  great  consolation  to  know,  that  just 
in  proportion  as  we  clear  up  the  country,  and  keep  it  under 
good  and  regular  cultivation,  just  in  such  proportion  will  the 
“  Acclimating  fever”  be  vanquished,  and  not  only  our  own  citi 
zens,  but  visitors  from  any  quarter  may  fully  enjoy  the  natu 


LIBERIA  DESCRIBED. 


13 


ral  sweets  of  our  delightful  climate,  wholly  unmolested  by  any 
form  of  intermitten ts. 

The  same  means  are  used  for  the  cure  of  the  “  Acclimating 
fever”  in  Liberia,  as  for  the  fever  and  ague  in  the  United  States, 
and  I  am  very  much  in  hopes  that  a  remedy  prepared  by  a 
Mr.  Edward  S.  Morris,  of  Philadelphia,  and  known  as  “  Pas- 
challs  Fever  and  Ague  mixture,”  when  properly  introduced, 
will  tend  to  lessen  the  severity  of  the  attacks,  if  it  does  not 
entirely  prevent  and  check  the  disease.  So  well  persuaded 
am  I  that  it  will  produce  a  good  effect  in  persons  under  the 
influence  of  these  fevers,  having  used  it  myself,  that  I  have 
already  ordered  some  of  it  to  be  sent  there.  There  is  one 
peculiarity  about  Mr.  Morris’s  preparation,  differing  from  most 
all  other  proprietary  medicines,  and  that  is,  “It  is  good  for 
nothing  else  but  for  the  cure  of  these  miasmatic  diseases,”  to 
use  Mr.  Morris’s  own  language. 

The  soil  of  Liberia  is  fertile  without  exception ;  and  some 
of  it,  yea,  the  greater  portion  of  it  is  considered  the  most  pro¬ 
lific  in  the  world ;  all  the  tropical  productions  attain  their 
perfection  with  less  care,  and  in  a  shorter  time,  than  is  usual 
in  any  other  country,  and  by  a  very  little  attention,  our  coun¬ 
try  may  be  emphatically  called,  the  land  of  fruits  and  fragrant 
flowers.  We  have  many  indigenous  products,  that  are  most 
valuable;  such  as  the  cam-wood,  palm-oil,  and  ivory,  with 
many  others  too  numerous  to  mention. 

I  do  not  know  that  the  palm-oil  and  cam-wood  can  be  ob¬ 
tained  from  any  other  country  than  Africa ;  but  I  know  that 
there  are  vessels  from  almost  every  commercial  nation  under 
the  sun,  engaged  on  our  coast,  in  the  palm-oil,  cam-wood,  and 
ivory  trade.  There  are  millions  of  gallons  of  palm-oil,  and  a 
vast  quantity  of  cam-wood  and  ivory,  exported  from  the  coast 
of  Africa  every  year ;  and  there  are  merchants  of  England, 
France,  America,  and  Germany,  who  are  piling  fortune  upon 
fortune  by  the  advantage  they  have  in  this  trade ;  and  they 
take  good  care  to  say  but  little  about  it,  for  fear  of  competi¬ 
tion.  Wheremre  our  capitalists?  This  wealth  is  ours,  but  the 
men  of  other  nations  are  constantly,  though  slyly,  removing  it. 
Have  they  not  taken  away  our  forefathers  ?  and  is  that  not 
enough  ?  Or,  shall  we  remain  dormant  while  they  remove 


14 


LIBERIA  DESCRIBED. 


our  inheritance  also  ?  In  all  honesty  and  earnestness,  I  do 
think  it  is  high  time  now  to  awake  out  of  sleep. 

Our  climate  and  soil  are  congenial  to  the  growth  of  almost 
every  plant  of  any  considerable  importance  in  the  world. 
The  staple  products  for  the  present,  may  be  considered  hut 
four,  viz :  sugar,  coffee,  rice,  and  cotton ;  each  of  which,  as  we 
believe,  may  he  raised  in  greater  abundance,  and  with  less 
trouble,  than  in  any  other  country  in  the  world ;  besides  these, 
the  very  best  article  of  Indian  corn,  or  maize,  sweet-potatoes, 
and  the  bean  and  pea  of  every  type,  may  be  raised  in  rich 
abundance  for  home  consumption. 

Wheat  has  never  been  fairly  tried  in  Liberia ;  but  there  is 
no  doubt  that  as  soon  as  the  settlements  extend  further  into 
the  interior,  and  due  attention  is  paid  to  agriculture,  that  ex¬ 
cellent  wheat  may  be  produced  from  the  grain  usually  called 
spring  wheat.  Agriculture  has  been  shamefully  neglected  in 
our  country,  and  the  citizens  have  only  lately  begun  to  turn 
their  attention  to  that  department ;  but  the  farmer  is  by  far  the 
most  independent  man  in  the  country  :  having  no  winter  to  con¬ 
tend  with,  he  is  alternately  sowing  and  reaping  the  year  round, 
and  I  verily  believe  that  Liberia  will  become,  at  no  very  dis¬ 
tant  day,  one  of  the  most  agricultural  nations  on  the  globe  ; 
and  manufactures  will  necessarily  follow  ;  already  are  there 
powerful  steam  sugar  mills  in  actual  operation ;  and  very  soon 
the  cotton  gin,  the  coffee-huller,  the  rice  machine,  and  the  like, 
will  be  loudly  called  for. 

Our  people,  as  yet,  have  not  introduced  the  labour  of  the 
horse  to  any  considerable  extent :  oxen  are  the  principal  beasts 
of  burden,  and  they  are  not  very  extensively  employed  as  yet; 
but  both  the  horse  and  the  ox  are  becoming  more  and  more 
common.  There  are  great  numbers  of  these  animals  but  a  few 
miles  interior  of  our  boundaries,  and  may  be  purchased  of  the 
native  inhabitants  of  the  country  for  a  very  small  sum :  be¬ 
sides,  many  of  our  own  citizens  are  raising  very  fine  herds  of 
cows,  hogs,  sheep,  and  goats ;  but  they  might  be  raised  in 
much  greater  numbers  if  we  had  men,  even  of  small  capital, 
who  were  willing  to  employ  it  in  that  way ;  but  it  is  to  be  re¬ 
gretted  that  nearly  all  the  capital  of  Liberia  is  invested  in 
commerce. 

Some  people  in  this  country  seem  to  have  very  contracted 


LIBERIA  DESCRIBED. 


15 


views  as  it  regards  the  animals  of  Africa,  but  in  the  meantime 
they  are  very  inconsistent  when  speaking  on  the  subject ;  with 
one  breath  they  will  argue,  that  inasmuch  as  our  cattle,  sheep, 
hogs,  goats,  &c.,  along  the  coast  are  small,  therefore,  the  coun¬ 
try  will  not  produce  these  animals  so  large  as  they  are  in 
other  countries ;  but  in  the  very  next  breath,  they  will  tell  us 
of  our  huge  snakes  and  other  reptiles ;  they  will  speak  at  large 
also  of  the  elephant,  the  hippopotamus,  the  unicorn,  the  alli¬ 
gator,  and  the  lion.  Now  we  say  that  our  country  does  pro¬ 
duce  these  huge  animals,  but  she  also  produces  the  other  ani¬ 
mals  referred  to,  and  beyond  all  manner  of  doubt,  if  the  same 
attention  was  paid  to  our  interior  cattle,  that  other  nations  give 
to  theirs,  they  would  compare  well  with  any  cattle  in  the 
world ;  and  we  are  most  happy  to  record  that  this  fact  will 
soon  be  tested. 

The  wild  animals  of  Liberia  are  not  at  all  what  they  are 
represented  to  be  by  these  day-dreamers ;  and  therefore,  the 
most  charitable  view  that  we  can  take  of  their  conduct,  will 
lead  us  to  conclude,  that  these  representations,  or  rather  mis¬ 
representations,  are  made  with  deliberate  aim  to  frighten  the 
timid,  and  discourage  the  noble-hearted.  We  have  never  seen 
a  lion  within  our  bounds ;  the  elephant  has  left  the  civilized 
portions  of  the  country  long  since ;  you  might  live  in  Liberia 
three-score  years  and  ten,  and  never  see  a  boa-constrictor,  if 
they  were  not  kept  by  individuals  for  show ;  and  so  may  we 
say  of  all  the  ferocious  animals  of  Africa,  for  however  danger¬ 
ous  they  may  be  in  the  wilds  of  Africa,  yet  be  ye  assured  that 
God  has  never  intended  that  civilization  and  Christianity  should 
be  beaten  back  by  the  beasts  of  the  forest.  That  part  of 
Africa  that  we  occupy,  has  been  specially  protected  against 
all  poisonous  reptiles  and  insects,  by  the  special  agency  of  a 
small  ant,  called  the  “  driver;”  these  ants,  although  destructive 
to  so  many  other  animals,  have  no  facilities  whatever  for  injur¬ 
ing  man. 

We  have  neither  time  nor  space  in  which  to  give  our  views 
at  large,  upon  the  prospects  for  the  future  in  Liberia ;  but  the 
description  that  we  have  given  of  things  as  they  are,  will  cause 
you  naturally  to  come  to  some  conclusion  respecting  the  future 
of  that  country. 

To  those  who  may  have  favourable  hopes  concerning  the 


1G 


LIBERIA  DESCRIBED. 


future  of  Liberia,  we  would  add  a  few  more  encouragements. 
There  are  schools  and  churches  scattered  all  over  the  civilized 
portions  of  Liberia ;  and  religion  stands  first  in  point  of  impor¬ 
tance,  while  education  stands  next.  Great  efforts  have  been 
made  lately  by  the  missionaries  and  citizens  of  Liberia,  to 
bring  a  greater  number  of  the  heathen  population  under  the 
influence  of  the  glorious  gospel  of  the  Son  of  God,  our  common 
Saviour ;  hundreds  of  the  native  youths  have  been  brought 
into  our  Sabbath-schools,  and  as  many  as  can  be  supported 
are  enjoying  the  benefits  of  our  day-schools.  Precious  are  the 
privileges  that  have  been  extended  to  the  heathen  within  the 
bounds  of  Liberia,  by  the  establishment  of  that  little  Republic, 
as  a  beacon-light  to  guide  them  out  of  gross  darkness,  aided 
by  the  willing  and  efficient  labours  of  God’s  missionaries. 
Well  may  Liberians  repeat  these  lines : 

“  Shine,  life-creating  ray, 

Proclaim  approaching  day, 

Throw  wide  thy  blaze  ; 

Lo !  savage  Hottentot, 

Bosjasman  from  his  cot, 

And  nations  long  forgot, 

Astonished  gaze. 

\ 

All  hail,  Liberia !  hail ! 

Favoured  of  God,  all  hail ! 

Hail,  happy  band ! 

From  virtue  ne’er  remove  : 

By  peace,  and  truth,  and  love, 

And  wisdom  from  above, 

So  slialt  thou  stand.” 

The  different  denominations  of  professing  Christians  in  Libe¬ 
ria,  are  the  Methodists,  Baptists,  Presbyterians,  and  Episco¬ 
palians.  These  are  not  divided  among  themselves,  as  they  are 
in  many  places ;  but  as  a  general  thing  each  denomination 
maintains  a  unity,  and  all  the  different  denominations  are  in 
communion  with  each  other,  as  much  so  as  in  an}^  other  coun¬ 
try,  and  perhaps  more  so.  You  may  learn  the  membership 
of  each,  as  well  as  the  sum  of  the  whole,  by  reference  to  the 
last  reports  of  the  different  Boards  of  Foreign  Missions,  which 
will  also  give  the  number  of  missionaries,  churches,  and  mis¬ 
sion-schools,  within  the  bounds  of  Liberia. 

We  have  set  down  these  different  denominations  according 


LIBERIA  DESCRIBED. 


17 


to  their  numerical  order.  The  Methodists  outnumber  any  two 
of  the  rest,  and  have  laid  out  a  vast  amount  of  money  in  car¬ 
rying  on  their  mission  operations ;  they  are  doing  a  good  work, 
and  have  entered  into  it  with  heart  and  hand.  The  Baptists 
stand  next  in  point  of  numbers.  We  have  put  the  Presbyte¬ 
rians  before  the  Episcopalians,  but  we  are  not  certain  as  to 
which  numbers  the  more.  One  thing  we  do  know,  that  the 
Episcopalians  have  expended  more  money  in  Liberia  than  the 
Presbyterians ;  they  build  good  and  substantial  mission-houses, 
as  well  as  churches,  wherever  they  begin  operations,  and  there¬ 
fore  their  expenses  will  not  increase  by  the  lapse  of  time. 
They  have  a  Bishop  in  Liberia,  who  has  lived  and  laboured 
with  great  success  in  the  same  place  for  more  than  twenty 
years ;  there  is  no  man  more  beloved  and  relied  on  than 
Bishop  Payne  of  Cape  Palmas,  and  it  would  appear  from  his 
untiring  diligence,  that  no  man  has  ever  had  the  work  more  at 
heart: 

These  several  denominations  have  their  High  Schools,  as 
well  as  common  schools,  in  different  parts  of  the  Republic :  of 
which  we  may  mention  as  No.  1,  the  Alexander  High  School 
at  Monrovia,  the  Methodist  High  School  at  the  same  place, 
and  a  similar  institution  of  that  denomination  at  Cape  Palmas; 
also  three  schools  under  the  Episcopalians  in  Cape  Palmas 
county,  two  or  three  similar  schools  in  Montserado  county  and 
Grand  Bassa,  under  the  same  denomination :  the  Baptists  have 
High  Schools  at  Grand  Bassa  and  Monrovia,  besides  primary 
schools  at  different  points.  All  the  schools  under  the  different 
denominations  in  Liberia,  receive  their  chief  support  from  the 
Missionary  Boards  and  Societies  of  the  United  States.  The 
English  mission  stations  are  chiefly  at  Sierra-Leone,  and  other 
points  outside  of  Liberia.  The  missionary  work  in  and  about 
Liberia,  seems  to  be  entirely  committed  to  the  people  of  the 
United  States  and  Liberia;  and  according  to  our  experienc* 
for  several  years,  we  believe  that  there  is  not  a  more  effectual 
door  of  entrance  to  the  heathen  in  Africa,  than  through  Liberia. 

3 


18 


LIBERIA  DESCRIBED. 


LIBERIA  MISSION.— ALEXANDER  HIGH-SCHOOL. 

EXTRACT  OF  A  LETTER  FROM  MR.  EDWARD  W.  BLYDEN. 

Dear  Sir — Your  kind  and  interesting  letter  by  the  u  G.  C.  Ackerly.” 
dated  July  27th,  has  been  duly  received.  Please  to  accept  my  sincere 
thanks  for  kindly  attending  to  my  request  with  reference  to  my  mother. 
In  obedience  to  your  instruction,  I  hasten  to  drop  you  a  few  lines  relative 
to  the  condition  of  the  schools. 

During  the  two  months  of  Rev.  Mr.  Williams’s  absence  at  Cape  Palmas, 
the  schools,  as  you  are  aware,  were  united  under  my  supervision  and  in¬ 
struction.  The  English  department  contained  between  thirty  and  forty 
scholars,  divided  into  classes  in  spelling,  reading,  geography,  English  gram¬ 
mar,  and  arithmetic.  The  classical  department  contained  nine  scholars, 
divided  into  two  classes,  first  and  second.  The  studies  in  the  first  class 
were  Latin,  Greek  grammar  and  Reader,  and  algebra;  of  the  second,  Latin 
grammar,  and  arithmetic. 

On  the  return  of  Mr.  Williams,  the  schools  were  again  separated,  and  the 
English  department  placed  under  the  tuition  of  Mr.  Witherspoon,  one  of  the 
scholars  of  the  first  class  in  the  classical  department,  whom  I  have  requested 
to  forward  his  report  to  you  by  the  “  Benson.”  Six  of  the  most  advanced  boys 
in  the  English  department  were  transferred  to  the  Alexander  High-School — a 
temporary  expedient  to  relieve  Mr.  Witherspoon  of  too  great  labour,  in  view 
of  his  recitations  in  his  class  in  the  High-School.  But  I  think  from  the 
progress  of  the  boys,  it  were  well  for  them  to  continue  permanently  in  the 
High-School. 

There  are  now  in  the  Alexander  High-School  sixteen  boys,  divided  into 
three  classes.  The  studies  of  the  first  class  are  Greek,  Latin,  algebra,  and 
history ;  of  the  second,  Latin  grammar  and  Reader,  and  history,  and  arith¬ 
metic  ;  of  the  third,  spelling,  reading,  geography,  English  grammar,  arith¬ 
metic.  Vocal  music  is  taught  every  other  day  immediately  after  the  regu¬ 
lar  exercises. 

It  has  always  been  the  policy  of  the  Alexander  High-School,  in  the  case 
of  new  students,  to  give  special  and  even  exclusive  attention  to  the  disci¬ 
plinary  studies,  mathematics,  and  the  languages,  leaving  such  studies  as  in¬ 
volve  merely  information  to  the  later  stages  of  progress.  And  I  have  found 
— though  I  used  to  murmur  much — in  my  own  experience,  and  from  the 
experience  of  others,  that  such  a  course  was  highly  necessary  and  beneficial. 
While  the  students  of  the  Monrovia  Academy,  where  a  contrary  policy  was 
adopted,  that  of  paying  attention  to  many  studies  at  once,  are  in  general 
superficial  in  almost  everything,  the  graduated  students  of  the  Alexander 
High-School — if  you  will  allow  me  to  except  myself — are  looked  upon  as 
indispensable  in  their  various  avocations.  For  these  reasons  I  intend  to  con¬ 
fine  my  new  scholars  to  Latin  and  arithmetic  for  a  while. 

But  notwithstanding  the  community  have  before  them  the  evidences 
above  referred  to,  of  the  importance  of  our  system  of  instruction,  yet  not  a 
few  of  our  dull  ones — sad  to  relate  ! — endeavour  to  infuse  into  the  minds  of 
some  of  the  boys  who  attend  our  schools,  disparaging  ideas  of  Latin,  Greek, 
and  mathematics;  so  that,  besides  overcoming  their  natural  indisposition  to 
study,  they  have  to  endure  the  opposition  of  a  public  opinion,  whose  real 
value  they  have  not  yet  learned  to  appreciate. 


JOSEPH  M.  WILSON, 

tb  blister.  ^aoltselltr,  ani  Jitaliimcr, 

No.  Ill  South  Tenth  St.,  below  Chestnut  St.,  Philada* 

PUBLISHER  OF 

THE  PRESBYTERIAN  MAGAZINE,  a  monthly  religious  Journal,  edited 
by  Rev.  0.  Van  Rennselaer,  D.D.  Terms,  $1.00  per  annum,  or  six  copies  for  five 
dollars,  Also, 

THE  HISTORY  OF  THE  PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCH  IN  AMERICA, 

by  Rev.  Richard  Webster,  with  portrait.  An  octavo  730  pages.  Price  $3.00. 

THE  CHURCHES  OF  THE  VALLEY :  being  Historical  Sketches  of  the  Old 
Presbyterian  Congregations  of  Cumberland  and  Franklin  counties.  Pa.  By  Rev. 
Alfred  Nevin,  D.D.  It  is  a  12mo  volume  of  350  pages.  Price  $1.00. 

THE  CHURCH  OF  GOD  — an  Essential  Element  of  the  Gospel.  By  Rev.  Stuart 
Robinson,  late  Professor  in  the  Theological  Seminary,  Danville,  Ky.  With  an  ap¬ 
pendix.  A  neat  12mo  volume  of  226  pages.  Price  60  cents. 

MESSIAH’S  REIGN,  Or  the  Future  Blessedness  of  the  Church  and  the  World. 
By  the  late  Rev.  William  Ramsey,  D.D.  A  12mo  volume  of  247  pages.  Price  $1.00. 

THE  MARTYRED  MISSIONARIES.  Containing  a  History  of  the  Futteh- 
gurh  Mission,  and  Memoirs  of  the  Missionaries,  by  the  Rev.  J.  J.  Walsh  ;  with 
ten  Portraits  on  Steel,  and  other  illustrations — making  a  crown  octavo  of  339  pages. 
Price  $1.50. 

THE  PRESBYTERIAN  HISTORICAL  ALMANAC,  and  Annual  Remem¬ 
brancer  of  the  Church  for  1859.  Compiled  and  arranged  by  Joseph  M.  Wilson. 
This  is  a  fine  royal  octavo  volume,  containing  the  operations  of  the  year,  of  each 
branch  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  with  list  of  Ministers,  &c.,  &c. — containing  12 
fine  Drawings  of  Churches,  and  14  Portraits  of  Ministers  who  are  Moderators  during 
the  current  year,  &c.  Price  $1.00. 

A  HISTORY  OF  THE  AFRICAN  PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCH  of  Phila¬ 
delphia  ;  together  with  sketches  of  all  the  Coloured  Churches.  An  octavo  pam¬ 
phlet,  111  pages.  Price  25  cents. 

Recommended  by  the  Presbytery  of  Philadelphia. 

A  RESPONSE  TO  BISHOP  POTTER  on  the  Design  of  the  Episcopal  Memo¬ 
rial  Papers.  By  a  “  Plain  Presbyter.”  An  octavo  pamphlet.  Price  12  cents. 

This  response  is  clear  and  forcible. 

THE  CHURCH  IN  THE  SCRIPTURES.  By  the  author  of  UA  Response  to 
Bib’hop  Potter.”  A  12mo,  flexible  cloth.  Price  20  cents. 

$5^  All  Books  sent  by  mail  free  of  postage. 

JOSEPH  M.  WILSON  is  also  Agent  to  receive  subscriptions  for  the 
various  Presbyterian  Newspapers  and  Magazines  published  in  this  country  and 
Great  Britain.  _  Persons  wishing  to  make  any  inquiries  concerning  them  will  please 
call  or  send  their  communications  to  his  Publication  House,  No.  Ill  South  Tenth 
Street,  a  few  doors  below  Chestnut  Street,  Philadelphia. 


